Violins and Paintbrushes
by Change of Heart-Good and Evil
Summary: Cloud Strife- the art prodigy, Squall Leonhart- the musical genius; both in a world where musicians and artists discriminate and hate each other try to survive with their own demons in their hearts. When forced to be roommates at their university, will they learn to understand one another and quit fighting or will their differences create a bigger hole in the artist-musician war?


_**Author's Note:**_

Heart: Hello guys! This is my first ever solo project that I'm going to do on my own … well, maybe with some help from my friend who encouraged me to do this story. Updates for _Madness in Wonderland _and _Sightless Music_ aren't going to be for another while since they're still in the drafting process right now and we barely have time for anything. To clarify, this is a Kingdom Hearts fan fiction and a mix of Final Fantasy 7. I would've done just Kingdom Hearts but there were characters I wanted to use that weren't in it. Also, since I'm barely getting into Kingdom Hearts, the only location I can think of having the setting is Destiny Islands, Twilight Town, and Traverse Town.

DISCLAIMER! … I don't own any of the characters I just manipulate them to doing what I want within the confines of my imagination. ALSO! OOC is a HUGE possibility since I find it hard to capture both Cloud's and Squall's attitude in the same room or reasons to hate each other. LASTLY! This is a yaoi and or shounen ai (boyXboy love) DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

_**Chapter 1:**__** Dorm mates… Shit.**_

_As a lonely wolf cries to the ignorant moon, the man stared out into the chilly abyss called night. Light rays of brilliance gently illuminated his star-kissed skin as the icy storm danced through his flaxen hair. Everything about him was beautiful yet pale and colorless as the dark he shrouded himself in. Well, except his eyes. Those blue tinted green orbs shone with intensity and betrayed no other emotion other than stoic bravery. He remained immobile, unmoving as a sudden gush of wind assaulted him from all sides. Bracing himself, he shut his eyes, waiting for the wind to die down so that he may continue his journey._

_Owwwwwwwww!_

_With the cry of the unseen wolf, all motion stopped. The abrupt wind died as soon as it had come and silence remained in its place. Opening his eyes once more, he strode forward, disregarding the threatening shadows that desired to consume him. Tendrils of the cursed darkness followed his trail, waiting for the moment he may falter, craving the flash innocence the man gave off suddenly. _

_Picking up the pace, the man spotted light in the impossible abyss. A glimmer of hope shined brightly, tearing through the hard mask he wore. The soft, graceful padding of a cat turned to harsh rumbles against the gravel and dry earth under his boots as he faintly found his destination. Calm to desperation, silence to clamor, he raced onwards, away from the perilous gloom to the single beam of bright illumination. _

"_You finally made it, huh, buddy?" _

_Skidding to a stop, he toppled forward, gasping for breath under the safety of the light. Resting his head in his hands, he rocked into a sitting position, not once ever glancing at the luminous object in front of him. The barriers he built years ago soon fell apart leaving the ghost of a hardened man with tears befalling his cheeks. With little inclination to move from his stance, he sobbed without restraint. Years and years of mournful agony laid waste to his body, each jolt of sorrow stripping away tiny pieces of his will, his spirit to continue forward._

"_Hey, don't cry buddy! We'll make it together! Just me and you living free all on our own!'_

_Finally, he took what remaining courage in him to look up; to stare up at the object that caused his dark trek across the cold, desolate desert. Resting quietly before him under his broken gaze was an abnormally large, rusted sword merged as one with the earth. If it was any other person, the sword would be of no importance, just another hunk of metal wasted to make an unneeded tool. However, because it was no one else but him, he saw with clarity, the unnatural being the warrior's instrument carried. The essence of its past owner still lingering faintly as if waiting for an expected visitor._

"_Hey, Cloud. Do you think you could come with me? We'd have so much fun! And we can be free of this horrid world of destruction and killing! We could be anything we want to other than mercenaries! Come on, Cloud! Come with me!"_

_Oh how I wish I did Zack! How I-_

"Hey, Blondie. Wake up!"

Shoved from his resting place on the cool desktop, the young blonde found himself sprawled on the ground. Drowsily, he glanced up, wondering who would dare wake him from his sleep. His eyes scanned the classroom and its inhabitants, knowing full well that many were too scared of him to even disturb the corner he sat in. When his eyes fell upon a brunette with stormy gray eyes and a nondescript, black uniform above him, he felt no surprise; only slight annoyance. _Of course. It would be those from THAT group to have a death wish to wake me._

"Do you have a reason for waking me up, Pussy Cat?" He growled darkly.

With the speed of the wind, the brunette was on top of him, clutching at his shirt collar and his other fist poised above his head waiting to strike. His gray eyes gleamed menacingly, not one ounce of hatred was restrained in those glowing orbs. Even as he spoke, the blonde met his gaze calmly, not once betraying his inner disgust that broiled in the pit of his stomach. "I have a name Rainbow Sketcher. It's Squall Leonhart, you better remember it."

Laughing suddenly at Squall's hypocrisy, he replied somewhat sarcastically, "Practice what you preach Kitten. I'm Cloud Strife, and why would I remember the name of an idiotic _musician_?"

Abruptly lifted off of the ground, Cloud braced himself for the punch that was surely unavoidable, never once breaking his stare with the lion boy. The impact of the hit left him breathless, harder than he anticipated it to be, however, doable due to the fact that he was used to pain. Pain that was much more excruciating than even the most resilient human could take. This was a cake walk. "You hit like a girl Pussy Cat. Want to know what a real punch feels like?"

"From your position as of now, there's no way you'd land a hit Rainbow Sketcher!" Squall smirked, still hanging Cloud by his collar.

Now the corners of his mouth lifted mockingly, an eerie gleam took over in his eyes, making them more mysterious than the already ominous blue-green that resided there. Emphasizing each word he spoke, he replied, "Want to bet?"

The blonde youth exploded into action, surprising the brunette beneath him. He kicked out, catching Squall in the gut just shy of hitting him where no man desires to be hit and expectantly, was released from his choking hold. Rapidly, he cleared the space between them and struck out at his tormentor, slicing his cheek with his silver ring. Watching the prideful lion stumble back in shock, he sneered. He caught him off guard. Underestimating your adversary was a fatal mistake, especially to one who seemed weaker in appearance. Wiping the expression off his face completely, he pulled his hands into fists as he ran toward his opponent again, not once caring that the students around him were horrified at the scene being played before them.

"Quick! Someone call Headmaster Angeal before they break the classroom again like last time!"

_Headmaster's on his way? Better make this quick. _"Come on Pussy Cat, I thought you were bent on cornering me. Where was that fighting energy I saw before I whooped your ass?" Punching out again and again on the brunette, he unleashed his fury into his fists. All the blind frustration and grief from his haunting dreams, he released without a care. Cloud knew it was wrong to hurt this boy, one very misguided, but arrogance and disrespect just radiated off him. It pissed him off. Rage plagued his judgment as he pounded on Squall's pathetic attempt to block his face and body from harm. Without revealing any remorseful emotion on his own face, he delivered the final blow, knocking named Pussy Cat off his feet and crashing into the desks behind him.

Students scattered wildly to avoid being rammed into by the brunette, not ever taking a backwards glance to check if he was alright. Slowly and purposefully, the blonde strode to the boy, watching with narrowed eyes as the other tried to stand. "Nice try Pussy Cat. _Musicians _can't fight for shit. Next time you try to pick a fight, make sure to watch who you're dealing with. Give up."

Faintly, the boy responded. "Never. Not to an _artist_ like you. I will never let myself be beat by you Blondie! You-"

"Well if it isn't my two favorite students fighting again; the very two who'll no doubt be marching down to my office for the seventh time in two days. A new record I must say. What was it this time Leonhart, Strife? Hmm?"

Standing at the entrance of the classroom was none other than the Headmaster himself in all of his professional glory; down to the tie, cufflinks, steamed-pressed shirt and impeccably straight trousers he appeared regal. Intimidating-ly tall, well-muscled for an office man, pale, and piercing ice-like eyes, he could be your best friend or your worst enemy. His crow colored hair parted neatly out of his face fell softly against his shoulders, framing his strong features. Every student and teacher adored him because of his fair, fatherly nature yet stern and unyielding resolve. Seldom was there a problem he couldn't untangle. Well, except one, one that existed since the founding of the school and the society run by it. A deep rivalry had formed, one as deep and as vicious as that of the Capulet's and Montague's blood feud. The two boys before him were no stranger to it either. "Leonhart, get up and meet me and Strife in my office after you've seen the nurse. You're going to have nasty bruises for a while and a scar on that cheek of yours. Come with me Strife."

With a polite 'yes sir', Cloud and Angeal stalked silently through the halls until they reached the private confines of the Headmaster's office. The room was like any other clean freak's office; immaculate, pristine, and impossibly organized. The only thing out of place was a large display case holding an abnormally large sword stuck in a stone. It was almost as tall as Cloud and nearly as wide as half his body width, making it almost hopeless to try to lift. Rusted and worn, it stood seeming to stare at the intruders. The blonde halted in front of the case, memorizing every part of the blade's deteriorating beauty from its dull, faded tip to the worn red leather of the handle. Once again, he was gently lulled into a soft vision that he encountered in his dream.

"You still miss him Cloud?"

Waking from his reverie by the sound of his name and a break from formalities, he turned to face the headmaster who leaned tiredly into his black leather chair. The black-haired man observed the boy with a careful weary eye. Though he proved to hold his own, no one knew of his inner turmoil or the demons that haunted him. "Yes, sir. Everyday sir."

"I do too. You both were like sons to me even before the incident." Sighing deeply, the headmaster took a moment of silence. "Take a seat Cloud and tell me what happened. And it better be a valid reason because Leonhart looked like he was going to need quite a bit of medical attention."

"I fell asleep and he shoved me to the ground to wake me up."

"So you hit him?"

"No sir, he hit me first, I was simply defending myself." He said quietly.

Chuckling, Angeal leaned forward to shuffle through some paperwork lying unfinished on his desk. "So you used him as a ragdoll to 'defend yourself'? I can't say that I'm happy about this, but you both are-"

Suddenly, the door slammed open, causing a great BANG to crash through the room. Standing just about over six foot, now sporting a bandage on his cheek, purple bruises spotting his jaw, and an ice pack in his hand was the infamous Squall Leonhart. Still wearing a hard, blank expression, he strode in, closed the door behind him, and slumped into a seat across the headmaster's desk. Not once did he glance at Cloud still parked in front of the case at the other side of the room. "You called for me Headmaster Angeal?"

"Yes I did Leonhart. Strife was just telling me it was you that started the fight. Care to explain why. Because the way things are turning, you two are going to be in a hell's worth of trouble no matter who started it."

"But sir, he fell asleep in our musical instruction class! If he is to be at this school then- "

"I don't see the point in paying attention in a class where I'm not wanted nor have any interest in. Watch it Anger Management, you're walking on very dangerous ground." Cloud spat venomously.

"And if both of you don't stop this childish bickering, I will be compelled to expulsion!" Headmaster Angeal growled fiercely. He never had to raise his voice often but with these two blockheads, it's almost inevitable. Surprising the two boys into silence, he took a moment to calm himself before addressing the problem at hand. "Strife, Leonhart. Do you know why this school was founded?"

"Yes sir, to give artists of all kinds opportunities to grow, hone, and develop their skills to become the best of the country." The blonde said steadily.

"Good. Then we're almost on the same page. The Arts University of Destiny Islands was established to expand opportunities for gifted students in all types of art and help develop skills to a higher range and variety. However." Angeal flicked his iced eyes to glare intently at both Strife and Leonhart in turn. Resting his chin on his interlaced hands, he continued on, making sure that the boys felt the weight of each word he uttered. "This school was also created to break down the barriers of artistic discrimination. Somehow, generations before us, musicians and artists have been locked in an unnecessary war trying to beat each other out and show who the best is. Since the school's founding, we've had some progress, not much, but its progress nonetheless. Now you two are disrupting that progress. Could you see why your behavior is a cause for worry?"

Silence enveloped the room. The two troublemakers looked like they didn't care one iota about the Headmaster's speech and instead, were intently focused on staring each other down. The brunette sat frigidly straight in his seat, clutching at the melting ice pack in his hand. His silvery eyes stormed at his blonde adversary, who in turn was glared coolly back. Green and sea-glass blue hypnotized the other, enticing him to start the fight, to rain down his own defeat. Finally. The brunette snapped.

"There's no way in HELL I could ever get along with this freak! No matter what you do Headmaster; I will never stop hating this guy!"

"Couldn't have agreed more Kitten! Sorry sir, but I don't think I could get along with this loud, noisy, over reactive fool of a musician." Crossing his arms, Cloud strode softly to the door. "See ya later sir, Pussy Cat."

Catching Cloud by the arm, Squall rose from his seat, tensed for another fight. "I have a name you emo twat. And what did you just call me? You conceited, lazy, pompous asshole!"

"You have ears, use them. Or are they deaf by your own screeching all day!" Cloud sneered.

SLAM!

"ENOUGH BOTH OF YOU!" Angeal, red-faced with frustration, loomed over his desk, or more particularly, the huge dent on it. He had punched the polished wood with all the strength he could muster and left behind collapsing pieces of timber and papers and books to fly across the floor. The boys stared in wide-eyed alarm. The Headmaster raising his voice was one thing, but to flat out scream and break a desk into oblivion could only mean something they both will forever dread. "Since you both see it fit to continue the fight despite my warning, I will be forced to MAKE you abide by the rules of this school. No. Expelling you won't teach either of you anything at all. Both of you front and center NOW!"

Without further encouragement, Cloud and Squall rushed to the center of the room standing rod-straight and arms pasted to their sides. They both stared ahead, not daring to look elsewhere as the intimidating Headmaster circled them in a predator-like manner. He analyzed both with a calculating glare. Squall, though taller of the two, didn't appear as collected as Cloud. He stood straight and feigned nonchalance but released an air of uncertainty; his eyes said everything for him. The other, Cloud, in comparison, held his militaristic pose with absolute perfection. His blue-green eyes trained ahead, hard and emotionless like his expression. What he was thinking, Angeal couldn't fathom. The boy mastered the art of hiding his thoughts long ago. The familiarity of it made the Headmaster sigh inwardly. _What has this come to Cloud? When I thought you'd gotten better…_ Finally, with an almost inaudible 'thump' of his boots, he halted in front of the blonde and brunette.

With a mercilessly wicked gleam in his eye, he spoke in an eerily calm manner, as though he were issuing a death sentence and secretly taking pleasure in that fact. "You both will become best friends during your stay here. Want to know why? Well, because you both are going to be roommates until you graduate. No exchanges, compromises, or excuses. That will be the end of any future argument or complaint. Understood."

It wasn't a question or an opportunity to debate, it was a command, an indefinite command. _Well, just my fucking luck. I get a noisy, loudmouthed, annoyance for a roommate,_ Cloud thought sullenly.

"Roommates…. Shit." Squall groaned.

"Oh, and in case you take my punishment lightly, every Thursday you have to hold hands for two hours."

"FUCK NO!"

_**Author's Note:**_

Heart: *Stretch* Well, this took me quite a bit to finish. I think I will write this in my spare time if I have any. For the time being, my time is going to be taken up by school, sports, Sightless Music, Deviant Art, and whatever I can squeeze into my free time. Damn….. That means longer nights….. Oh well, I'll see what I can do. I decided these chapters will only be five pages long in Word Document, so I think the chapters will be very short unless I feel a change of heart coming on. Hahaha! Get it? Change Of Heart? My username? Forget it. I decided to bring Angeal back from the dead and into the world of Kingdom Hearts because I couldn't think of a better principal for this adventure. :P Hope you guys don't mind. Comment, I need feedback for inspiration. Enjoy! Oh and you can thank Evil for the last bit. We both saw this picture where two boys got into a fight and as punishment, the principal gave them a choice. Either be suspended for two days or hold hands publicly for two hours. Needless to say a big crowd gathered around for pictures. ;D


End file.
